Acts 16:11-40

11So putting out to sea from 1Troas, we ran 2a straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; 12and from there to 3Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of 4Macedonia, 5a Roman colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. 13And on 6the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. 14A woman named Lydia, from the city of 7Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, 8a worshiper of God, was listening; 9and the Lord 10opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15And when she and 11her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

16It happened that as we were going to 12the place of prayer, a slave-girl having 13a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond-servants of 14the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you 15the way of salvation.” 18She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you 16in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very 17moment.

19But when her masters saw that their hope of 18profit was 19gone, they seized 20Paul and Silas and 21dragged them into the market place before the authorities, 20and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, 21and 22are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being 23Romans.” 22The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their 24robes off them and proceeded to order 25them to be 26beaten with rods. 23When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding 27the jailer to guard them securely; 2428and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in 29the 30stocks.

25But about midnight 31Paul and Silas were praying and 32singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26and suddenly 33there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately 34all the doors were opened and everyone’s 35chains were unfastened. 27When 36the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about 37to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” 29And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before 38Paul and Silas, 30and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, 39what must I do to be saved?” 31They said, “40Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and 41your household.” 32And they spoke the word of 42the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33And he took them 43that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. 34And he brought them into his house and set 44food before them, and rejoiced 45greatly, having believed in God with 46his whole household.

35Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, “Release those men.” 36And 47the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go 48in peace.” 37But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without trial, 49men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.” 38The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. 50They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, 39and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them 51to leave the city. 40They went out of the prison and entered the house of 52Lydia, and when they saw 53the brethren, they 54encouraged them and departed.